Let's Just Be Us
by colormyheartred
Summary: Based upon a prompt about rockstar!Killian and movie star!Emma secretly dating, but those pesky fans figure it out.
1. Chapter 1

Emma Swan likes to think she has it all in order.

Being an A-List celebrity is hard enough as it is, with paparazzi discovering her when she so much decides to go visit Starbucks for ten minutes. But, she has a plan and she has tricks that keep her relatively average.

Trick number one: private social media accounts.

While she would like to be the kind of person who doesn't spend her days scrolling through Facebook wondering what her exes look like now, she kind of is. For the most part she spends too much time on Pinterest and Instagram looking for ideas for decorating, fashion, and recipes.

She gets a private Twitter account one slow Tuesday afternoon while she's waiting to be taken to set.

She's working in Los Angeles for the next few days finishing up this action-adventure blockbuster and while it's been fun, she cannot wait to get to fly out to New York to visit family and friends for a few weeks before she has to go shoot a television pilot for Netflix.

Mary Margaret, who has crowned herself the President of Emma's fan club, monitors everything Emma does like a hawk. Emma practically doesn't need an agent or manager with Mary Margaret scouring the depths of the internet for every review and comment written about her.

She only gets the private Twitter account because of one reason: she's tired of the notifications and the stress of running her public account.

She follows only a handful of names. It helps keep things clean and she can still scroll blankly through Twitter while not worrying about what people will think if she retweets a dozen pictures of puppies or if she starts tweeting at her favorite bakery about when they'll have her favorite kinds of muffins again.

It's nice. It's simple. And when she wants to make a public post, she can switch over quite easily.

Her phone starts vibrating in her hand as she's scrolling through her newly acquired private Twitter timeline and she rolls her eyes when she sees who's calling her- his stupid big eyes shining bright blue and his dopey grin spread so wide across her screen.

Emma slides to answer and pulls the device to her ear. She bites down on her lip as a smile spreads, forming dimples in her cheeks. "I thought you were too busy with Good Morning America for me today."

"Did you just follow me on Twitter under the username swangirl?" he immediately asks.

Emma laughs. She shrugs her shoulders. "I made a private account, okay? I just want to be able to have some normal even though I can't have that."

He hums. "I understand." For a moment, he's quiet. "My private account is thatjollyroger if you'd rather-"

She laughs again and suddenly misses him a lot more than she has in a while. Her heart squeezes tight and she turns to look at her laptop's desktop image. He's kissing her cheek while she laughs, both of them sitting together on the small window seat in their New York City apartment.

It's her favorite picture. Mostly because Killian hadn't insisted on taking a dozen to perfect the moment. It just _was_ and they _were_.

Killian Jones has been her _secret boyfriend_ since they met on the set of one of his early music videos. It was about five years ago, and back then they weren't under as much pressure as they are now, with the spotlight on them practically everywhere they turn.

Back then, she was kind of famous, with a big movie under her belt, and she was starring in his music video as a favor to a friend. Killian was just getting into his big break as well, with his album hitting the Billboard Top 10.

It's been five years of growth since then. For both the two of them, and their careers.

He's a solo artist and a very popular one at that. Every time she turns on the radio, she hears one of his singles. He's been traveling the world promoting his latest album, one he's admitted to her in private was completely inspired by her.

It makes her smile, her cheeks reddening, because Killian Jones could write about anything but he chose her.

"I miss you," Emma admits in a quiet voice. She presses her cheek against her shoulder and listens to his end- it's awfully loud. She imagines the guys in his band are being rowdy while they wait to go on air.

"I miss you more," Killian says. He sighs. "What do you say I come to town on Friday? I do miss Cocoa Bean quite a bit."

Emma smiles, glancing over at the puppy curled up on her couch, napping as if she doesn't get enough sleep.

"She misses you too. But not as much as we miss Mister Smee."

"The scoundrel," Killian laughs. "He's been so out of sorts. He misses you and Cocoa too much."

Emma bites on her lip. Her stomach twists excitedly at the idea of him coming to town. They have an apartment here that she uses a lot more lately rather than sharing it with him. It's been awhile since he's been here.

"What's next on the tour?"

"Ah…" Killian groans in consideration. "A few shows in Florida and then it's over when we head back up to New York."

She smiles. "God, I can't wait for tour to be over."

Her boyfriend laughs. "You should come to Florida with me after I come see you in LA. We could go to Disney World. Do you have anything going on?"

Emma rolls her eyes. "You know if we went to Disney World together the whole planet would implode or something."

Killian practically whines, "But, Swan… think of the fun we'd have!"

A smile twists at her lips. She considers it- riding rides, eating too much, and buying up all of the Mickey memorabilia they set their sights on. She can only imagine Killian Jones in the middle of it all.

"You're right. It would be fun."

"Plus you've got an in, don't you? With that film you did last year."

She hears a knock at her trailer door and she sits upright, closing her laptop as she rises to her feet. "They want me on set. I gotta go, babe. We can talk about this later."

"Yeah, I should be on my way as well."

"Okay."

For a moment, they share a companionable silence, almost telling each other they wish it could be easier.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

..

Emma's second trick of being an A-List celebrity is this: no looking at reviews for stuff she's done, and _no_ looking into gossip. No matter what.

She's usually quite good at this. She stays clear of the drama and lives in a peaceful, blissful bubble with her puppy pictures and chocolate chip cookie recipes.

However, sometimes the gossip comes to her.

In this particular instance, she's sitting up in bed with Killian in their hotel room in Orlando, having just made a post about flying out of LAX earlier that day.

Her eyes narrow at the comments section and she actually laughs under her breath when she realizes what a lot of people seem to be talking about- she and Killian's nearly identical posts about flying.

 _ekforever: You and killianjones both flying out of LAX at the same time?_

 _ahopper: ekforever just because they're at the same airport together doesn't mean they even saw each other. Get a life. Let them live._

 _ekforever: ahopper check my page for the facts. They're more than just friends._

It's intriguing enough to draw her attention away from the comments section of her public Instagram and Twitter pages.

She clicks on ekforever, discovering an Instagram account dedicated to pictures of she and Killian. To her surprise, the page has 312k followers, and an incredible amount of posts. She begins to scroll through, clicking on pictures to find out what they had to say about Killian's GMA interview.

One is a video that automatically plays- showing Killian's ears and cheeks burning bright red when the interviewer asks, "I'd be remiss if I didn't ask about Emma Swan. You were just on the set of her new film, recording a song with her for the soundtrack, right?"

"Ah… I, yeah-"

Their relationship to the public, at least what they've tried to paint a picture of, has always been close friends who often work together on small projects.

They get together sometimes for dinner and take the occasional selfie to sate the Internet's need to see them together, but that's really it. Emma keeps her relationship with Killian as silent as she possibly can and Killian does the same.

But apparently, according to this fan page, they're failing quite epically at keeping things _friendly_.

"What're you looking at, Swan?" Killian asks, practically addicted to the sound of his own voice, propping his chin up on her shoulder.

Emma turns slightly and shakes her head. Quickly, she clicks out of the page. "Nothing."

Her boyfriend makes a face at her. "I heard the GMA interview."

Emma closes her laptop and sets it aside. "I was just… looking at some gossip stuff. People are kind of crazy. Have you ever seen the fan pages?"

"Of course I have," Killian gives her an incredulous look. "Perhaps we're just a little too obvious?"

Emma shakes her head. "No. We're not. Normal people wouldn't notice that I was wearing your shirt two months ago when you were in Europe and I was in LA. Or that you were blushing like an idiot during the GMA interview at the mention of my name."

Killian arches his eyebrow. "Did they notice that…?"

Emma rolls her eyes and kisses him to shut him up. Mostly, so she doesn't have to think about the ramifications of their small slip-ups and mistakes. It works, both of them smiling into the kiss with Killian's hand on her cheek.

At the same time, their dogs decide to jump up onto the bed. She laughs against his lips when she gets a wet nose against her arm.

"Hey, Smee," she murmurs, reaching down to scratch beneath his ears. "How are you?"

Killian takes the other puppy into his arms and kisses her head. "Miss Cocoa Bean, you and your brother are awfully eager to interrupt a good moment, aren't you?"

Emma smiles at her boyfriend and rests her cheek against his shoulder. She leaves a kiss to it and breathes him in, a somber feeling falling over her.

"Do you think…" Emma bites on her lip. "What do you think would happen if we announced we were dating?"

Killian tucks Cocoa against his stomach and continues to stroke her fur, much to her approval. When they got her, she was a tiny thing, so Killian took to calling her Cocoa Bean, even though Emma just wanted to call her Cocoa. Both are equally adorable.

Emma leans away from Killian just a little, enough so she can see his contemplative expression.

He smiles at her, shrugging his shoulder. "I suppose people would know we're together."

It still causes her anxiety. Knowing just how popular they are. She's afraid of what it'll do to their relationship- being _public_.

"I don't want to lose you," Emma admits in a whisper.

Killian frowns. His hand cups the back of her head and he leaves a kiss to her forehead. "Hey, hey. You won't ever lose me. I promise you that."

Emma sighs. She admires him- the way his hair hangs over his forehead, the laugh lines in his cheeks, the brilliant blue of his eyes. He's her entire world.

"I love you," Emma tells him.

Killian kisses the spot between her eyes, then gently over her eyes when they fall closed. His lips trace a pattern down her cheeks and then finally, he kisses her lips.

"Emma Swan, I have loved you since the day I met you," Killian murmurs. "And I'm not keen on ever letting you go."

Emma breathes out of her nose, opening her eyes to look up at him. Smee is curled up in her lap- _his_ dog, while the puppy they'd chosen together is in his lap.

"That sounds an awful lot like a proposal," Emma teases, trying to keep from feeling like she could break down crying.

She sits upright, their shoulders pressed together, while she strokes Smee's fur.

"Would you like it to be?"

Her heart skips a beat and her jaw falls open. "I… _no_. I want you to propose when you're ready."

Emma swallows. She stares at him and tears well up in her eyes when he twists a ring on his right hand.

Killian holds the ring between his fingers, admiring it. "Liam gave this to me when I was sixteen." He smiles a little. "He said it kept him safe and in turn, he hoped it would keep me safe as well."

Emma watches as her boyfriend spreads out one of her palms. He settles the ring down in her hand. Her heart races so fast and she has a hard time thinking straight with all of the thoughts whirring through her mind.

"I want you to have it." Killian adds. "Because even when I'm not with you… I am."

She can only imagine what the fans of theirs will think of this development, if they'll even notice it, but Emma can't find it in herself to really care too much.

She smiles at Killian and kisses him firmly, their noses bumping afterwards.

"So, like, are we secretly engaged now?" Emma asks, again teasing.

Killian's eyebrows dance playfully. "That would be interesting, wouldn't it?" Emma shoves at him and he laughs heartily before kissing her cheek. "Only if you want to be."

Emma glares at him for a moment, but Killian takes it in stride. He takes her hand and squeezes it gently.

"Let's just be us, hm?"

Emma finds peace with the statement. She smiles and nods. "Let's just be us."

..

Emma doesn't have a good excuse to use when she's recognized in the backstage area of Killian's show in Miami, sporting a ring hanging from a chain around her neck, so she just laughs and says she's here to support her friend.

She's kind of stupid and high on actually being here to support her guy, so she takes a bunch of pictures with some of the behind the scenes crew and with fans that come for a private meet-and-greet. She ends up being there for the whole thing, engaging with the fans as much as Killian does.

It's fun. Getting to be here with him, seeing how he is in his element.

She's seen him like this, of course, before. They've been together for five years. Five chaotic years, but she's still been able to come to shows just as much as he's been able to spend time on set with her.

She loves him so much.

The best part of being at the show has to be the way he stares at her from the stage. It's as if she's the only one in the crowded room.

"This one's for you, darling," he says, dedicating the sappiest of his love songs to her.

It's enough to make her blush. She hides her face in her hands for a moment and then sets her sight on him, her hands clasped together over her heart while she sways and sings along to the song.

She loves him so much sometimes it hurts to think about it.

..

The hotel room is a bit of a mess when Emma wakes up on the morning they're going to finally be heading home to New York City.

Killian had woken up before her a few minutes ago and he'd immediately gone to take a shower.

She hears the water hitting the shower floor as she runs her fingers through her hair. It's a disaster, but she doesn't have a hair tie around her wrist like she usually does. She imagines she'll find one eventually.

Emma sits down in front of her laptop at the desk and while she waits for it to boot up, she smiles slightly at the crumpled mess of bed sheets and pillows strewn about.

Killian's guitar is sitting against the desk. He'd played for her when they came back to the room last night, because she said she wanted to hear a song. He was more than happy to oblige her.

Cocoa curls up by Emma's feet after she dresses herself in her favorite travel outfit- a band shirt and jeans. Emma smiles at the puppy and looks around for Smee, who has decided to sit himself down on the end of the bed behind her.

Emma's heart swells happily when she sees she has a few texts from Mary Margaret and David excited to see her later today and she bites down on her lip as she goes into her Instagram.

She last used it on her private account, so she doesn't think twice about where she's posting this.

It's a simple post about how excited she is to get to go home to New York City. She decides to post a selfie, because she feels _good_. She doesn't really care what's captured in the image, because Mary Margaret, one of the thirty seven followers she has on this account, won't care- she'll just be excited to see Emma so excited.

Killian comes out of the bathroom, bringing with him the fresh scent of the warm shower he'd taken.

"Good morning," she says, looking up at him while she hits post to Twitter as well as Instagram as a force of habit.

"Good morning, love," Killian approaches her. He's only wearing a towel around his hips, secured with a flimsily tucked knot.

As soon as he kisses her and his hair drips onto her shoulder, she scrunches her nose up at him. "When's the flight leave?"

Killian takes his fingers through his hair and sighs as he thinks about it. "We've got two hours before we need to be at the airport."

Her phone begins vibrating in her palm and she frowns when she sees Regina's name on the screen. She bites her lip. "I should take it. It's Regina."

Killian nods in understanding.

"Hey, Regina-"

"Emma, I thought we were keeping him a secret," Regina says pointedly.

Emma frowns, her heart starting to race fast. She walks into the living area of the hotel room while Killian returns to the bathroom.

"What are you talking about?"

"The post you just made?" Regina asks. "Emma, you're basically shouting from the rooftops 'I'm dating Killian Jones.'"

Emma's eyes widen and a sick feeling sinks to the pit of her stomach. "I… what?"

"Guitar in the lower left hand corner… his dog on the bed," Regina lists off. "Not to mention you have sex hair."

Emma gasps. "I do not!"

"Listen, I'm just trying to help because this is one thing you've been adamant about. Delete the post as soon as you can."

Emma pulls her phone away from her face and puts Regina on speaker.

"I'm looking to see what the damage is…" Emma pulls up her public Instagram page and grimaces at the picture. "I meant to post this on my private page."

Regina sighs. "Okay, well, we can fix this if you take it down right now, Emma. The more time you take to delete, the more people who see it."

Her heart is practically in her throat and she can hardly breathe, much less think straight.

Emma spies Killian stepping into the hotel room, not a care in the world. He sits down on the edge of the bed and lifts his guitar into his lap, beginning to pluck a few notes. He grins at Cocoa, who goes to greet him at his feet.

And it's enough to make Emma's heart at ease.

She steps into the room again, meeting Killian's eyes and offering him a mirrored grin.

"Regina, I want to… keep it up," Emma says into her phone, though she keeps a smile on her face while she stares at Killian. "I'm engaged to Killian Jones."

"Emma-"

She doesn't hear what else Regina has to say, because she's focused on the way Killian's eyes brighten and how he sets his guitar down again before he goes to her and lifts his eyebrows.

"Engaged?" he asks.

She lowers her phone after hanging up on Regina. She knows Regina's already calling her back, desperately confused and needing answers, but Emma doesn't want to give them.

Emma sucks in a breath and searches his eyes. She scrunches up her nose at him. "Yeah. If that's okay with you."

Killian wraps his arms around her and laughs, his nose bumping hers. "Darling, it's more than okay."

Emma's eyes fall closed and she kisses him, adoring the way he gently squeezes her sides before he takes her left hand.

"We'll need to get you an engagement ring as soon as possible," he says. "And, bloody hell, I should tell my manager."

Emma laughs happily. She shakes her head. "No, we don't need to say anything." She bites her lip. "Let's just be us."

He grins, soft and slow. "Let's just be us."


	2. Chapter 2

**an: I lost count of how many people requested that I write more, so I wrote more.**

* * *

"We're home!" Emma says happily.

She steps into the apartment with her bag around her shoulder and Cocoa and Smee right on her heels. They charge into the place with excitement, eager to sniff everything and make sure it's all still here.

Killian laughs warmly as he sets his stuff down. "I'll go grab the rest."

"Kay," Emma hums.

She's already charging for the thermostat and changing the temperature to help warm things up. It's December in New York and they haven't been here in what feels like an eternity.

She begins to flip on lights and smiles when she enters the bedroom, discovering things just as they'd left them. Tidy and clean.

"Not for long," she mumbles under her breath.

Emma sets her bag down on the bed and steps out of her shoes after peeling out of her coat. She opens the bathroom door and sets her bathroom bag down on the countertop.

As she stands there in the bathroom, she meets her eyes in the mirror. It's been a weird day. Long. Crazy.

She can hardly believe she posted a public photograph insinuating her relationship with Killian Jones, but she did.

Regina's going to keep things from escalating too far, but they're going to leave it ambiguous for now. At least, until Emma can figure out a decent way to announce she's in love with her very best friend.

Emma goes out into the bedroom and finds Cocoa already eager to curl up in Emma's pillows. She smiles at the puppy and scrubs her fingers behind her ears before leaving a kiss to the top of her head.

"Are you happy to be home, Cocoa Bean?" Emma leans away and hums to herself. "I know I am."

When Emma pulls her phone out of her pocket, she has far too many notifications. She nibbles on her lip, wondering what the fans have to say about the picture she'd posted.

Curiosity gets the best of her as she's walking out into the living area, ready to prepare some hot chocolate and to turn on the fake fireplace because she can.

 _ekforever: YOU'RE BEING SO OBVIOUS NOW OMG (clap)_

Emma stifles a laugh, tapping on the username. She discovers the page has blown up with magnified parts of the photograph. It's all she can do but crack up as she reads the speculation accompanying each post.

 _ekforever: What do we know? We know Emma has been spotted at Killian's concerts every night for a week and a half. (Check the previous post for the pics with fans!) Now that Killian's tour is done, he should be heading home again in time to celebrate the holidays with family. We know Emma's going to NYC- she just posted about it (I'm still DYING HELP) - and guess who lives in NYC? Killian! Aside from the obvious in the picture (*ahem* HIS DOG IN THE BACKGROUND AND HIS GUITAR AND HER HAIR?) I think the evidence has been piling up in our favor._

Emma bites on her lip as she laughs and her cheeks burn hot, because _damn_ she's the absolute worst at keeping this a secret from people.

Killian enters the apartment then with the rest of their things and smiles at her brightly. "Alright. It's all up now, I think. I'm rather hungry. Would you like to order in?"

"Yeah," Emma smiles back at him.

She stuffs her phone away and takes a breath, scanning her surroundings for the first time. There's frost on the windows and the fridge is empty. It hardly feels like home, but at the same time, she feels more at home than ever.

Killian brings his bag toward her, heading to the bedroom, and when he reaches her, he stops, settling his hand on her side so he can kiss her. They part with smiles on their lips, Emma searching his eyes as a laugh tumbles past her lips.

"What was that for?"

Killian's eyebrows dance. "Welcome home."

"Welcome home," She grins. She watches as he goes into their bedroom for a moment and then she goes to continue fixing her hot chocolate. "Do you want Chinese?"

"Ah… yeah, sure. Should we phone David and Mary Margaret to let them know we're here in relatively one piece?"

Emma feels her phone vibrating wildly in her pocket and she wiggles it out, laughing once at the sight of Mary Margaret's name. She swipes as she says, "I think I've got that covered. Hey, Mary Margaret."

"Emma, oh my gosh, I saw the picture on Instagram," Mary Margaret says immediately, skipping all pretenses. "Are you okay? How are you doing?"

Emma laughs once. She stirs the powder and water in her favorite mug and licks her lips when the hot chocolate begins to steam. She sets the spoon in the sink after spraying what's left of the whipped cream into the mug.

"I'm fine, Mary Margaret," Emma insists. She carries the hot chocolate with her into the bedroom and sits down on the edge of the bed, watching as Killian makes quick work of moving himself back in.

"You should see the gossip websites," Mary Margaret sighs. "I even saw E News was running a story. You're friends with them! I thought they were better than this!"

Emma has a sip of her beverage and Killian gives her a look, silently requesting a sip. She rolls her eyes and holds it out for him. He grabs it in an instant and has a sip, leaving whipped cream on his upper lip that makes her laugh.

"I'm friends with _Ariel_ , Mary Margaret. Not the whole company." Emma takes her hot chocolate back and sets it down on her nightstand as she gets comfortable on Killian's side of the bed.

"Still." Mary Margaret says disapprovingly. "I can't believe they'd-"

"It's okay," Emma tells her close friend. "I'm fine with the gossip. I'm getting kind of tired of having to keep things a secret."

Killian steps into the closet to grab the laundry hamper. He emerges and stuffs his dirty clothes into it before doing the same with her clothes.

Mary Margaret sighs into the phone. "Well, as long as you're okay, then I guess it's fine."

"It really is."

Emma watches as Killian grabs his phone from the bed and at the same time, he grins at Cocoa. The puppy sprawls out on her side, exposing her belly for Killian's warm hand.

"How was the flight?" Mary Margaret asks.

"It was good," Emma replies. "Not too long. We got stopped two times at the airport when people recognized me, but it was fine."

"Well, this is good to hear," Mary Margaret's clearly smiling. "Do you want to get together tomorrow, maybe? We need to catch up."

Emma hums. "Yeah, we really do. Do you want to do lunch?"

"Sure!" Mary Margaret says, then starts prattling off ideas she has, but Emma's only focus is on the way Killian hauls their laundry out of the room.

Emma slings her legs around the edge of the bed and starts walking out of the room.

"I'll text you." Emma says to Mary Margaret after confirming the details of their meal tomorrow. She bites down on her lip and wanders into the living area.

Killian's ordering food now while he loads the washing machine and she finds that this is something she wholeheartedly adores.

He turns to her after he finishes ordering and loading, her multitasking dream man, and he shows her his teeth with a smile.

"Alright, we've got laundry in and food on the way," Killian announces. "All that's left is… an engagement ring for my beautiful fiancée."

Emma rolls her eyes. She settles her hands on his chest. "I don't need an engagement ring-"

"Don't give me that," Killian chastises her. "I know you. And I know myself. I've always wanted to have a proper engagement, so I hope you'll be able to live with it."

She can't contain her smile. "I think I'll be able to."

"Well, that's good, because I've got one."

Emma's jaw falls open and she blinks dumbly. "What?"

Killian just grins and slips away from her. He jogs into the bedroom and then emerges, holding a black leather ring box in his hand.

"I've been waiting on it for a while. I didn't think the time would come so soon." Killian pulls his lower lip between his teeth, tugging at it. He pauses before her and smiles wryly as he drops to his knee. "Emma Swan, you are the love of my life and my very best friend. Will you marry me?"

The sight of him on the floor holding a ring in his hand is about enough to make her emotional- tears welling up in her eyes as if she hadn't ever expected this even though she absolutely had.

Emma's smile is weak at first, quickly spreading as she nods. "Yes. Of course I will, you goof."

Killian beams at her and they work together to get the ring on her finger. He bounces up onto his feet and his arms go around her as hers do the same. She digs her fingers into his hair and kisses him soundly, a laugh buzzing on her lips.

"What's so funny?" he asks, laughing between kisses.

Emma shakes her head and looks at Killian. "Nothing." She grins wide. "We're engaged."

"That we are."

..

One of Emma's token tricks to being an A-List celebrity is, while maintaining a calm and cool demeanor, not being filmed at seven thirty in the morning while she's still waking up.

Killian, being the way he is, likes to stretch the boundaries of her tricks.

It's not really his goal to film her, which makes it less of a _situation_ , but still, she's caught in the crosshairs of his muddled brain and enthusiasm for the day.

It's a Facebook livestream that he's filming, showing off his breakfast as he's cooking.

"I'm making breakfast," he says. "Eggs and bacon and perhaps some toast if I'm feeling adventurous. We'll see."

His phone camera is boosted up against the sugar container just far enough away so it exposes Killian and the stove, but also far back enough that it shows the kitchen behind him, including the coffee machine.

This is something Emma doesn't realize until she's in the frame of the video, staring at the phone with a confused tilt of her head.

"And I thought I'd share a quick thought about-" He turns to her then, a smile filling his lips. "Morning."

Emma grumbles a response and grabs the coffee on the counter beside him.

"That's mine, love."

"Don't care," Emma replies, suffering through a hearty sip of the straight black coffee.

Killian snickers at the camera. "She's not quite a morning person, I don't think. Hanging about my apartment like some sort of bum."

Killian clicks his tongue against his cheek, playing coy and loving every minute of it.

Emma can practically see the comments now: _ARE YOU GUYS TOGETHER OR NOT?_

She hides a smile behind the rim of Killian's coffee mug and sits down at the table with her newspaper and Cocoa, who curls up on top of her feet like she does every morning.

"Anyway, I thought I'd share a quick thought about the holiday season, since it's upon us and this is, in fact, Vlogmas, or Livestream-mas? Who knows what we decided it was called." Killian flashes the camera a grin.

Emma listens as the pan sizzles. It makes her stomach gurgle hungrily and she hopes he's making enough for her too.

She sips on the coffee and checks her phone for messages, finding a bunch of texts from Mary Margaret and a few from Regina, checking to make sure she got some sides for an audition.

"When I was a teenager, my older brother, Liam, used to tell me that for Christmas, we should always give to those less fortunate even if we feel like we've got nothing, because one day we might be in that position. You just never know." Killian pauses. "So that's my thought of the day. Do with it what you will. I'm trying to decide where to donate to this year, so if you've any suggestions, I'd love to hear them."

Killian flips the switch for the flame on the stove to turn off. He turns toward Emma, flashing the camera a quick glimpse of her.

"Everybody say 'hi to Emma!' Emma, say 'hi to everyone!'."

Emma wants to groan, but she just manages a soft smile as she sips some coffee. "Hi to everyone."

Killian beams at the camera and waves. "Alright, bye! I'll talk with you lot tomorrow."

She watches as he turns the livestream off. He drags his head over his face and then scratches behind his ear.

"I apologize, darling," he says, going straight to the table. He lowers a kiss to the top of her head. "I've been doing this… livestream thing as a sort of thank you to the fans in the days leading up till Christmas." He shakes his head. "I didn't think you'd get up this early."

Emma smiles at him. "It's alright. I just missed you so I came looking."

He hums and his eyebrows dance. "I see."

They stare at one another for a few moments. Obviously, he's hesitant still about the livestream including her.

Emma shrugs her shoulders. "It's okay. We're together. We're just being us."

Killian smiles easily. "Aye. That's right."

"Did you make enough food for me too?"

Her fiancé starts to laugh happily. "I did, as a matter of fact. Want toast?"

"I'm feeling adventurous. Yeah. Why not?"

..

Emma is knee-deep in wedding plans when the first real public and intentional interaction with she and Killian comes up.

It's the red carpet event for a movie she played a small part in, and she knows there'll be cameras and reporters wondering the juicy scoop on her relationship status, especially with all of the small things seeming to come to light on more credible websites and magazines.

Every week, it seems she sees something about some silly thing _sources_ have told them about Emma and Killian's relationship. There are a lot of pictures exposing Emma's engagement ring- her own fault for going to see a Broadway show with friends and announcing it online for the whole world to know.

Regina's remained quiet about the relationship to publications, meaning it's a _mystery_ to the world if Emma is indeed engaged to Killian, or if she's just wearing a pretty ring and hanging around him a lot.

"Hey, Killian?" Emma asks as she enters Killian's music room.

He's sitting at his computer, his acoustic guitar in his lap and his microphone pointed toward his lips. He grins, turning to face her. "Yes, my love?"

Emma sucks in a deep breath. Nerves tickle her belly ridiculously. "Do you want to go to the red carpet with me tonight?"

Killian lifts his eyebrow. "With you? As your date?"

Emma rolls her eyes and shrugs her shoulders. "Yeah. I mean, if you think you can handle that."

She watches as he sets his guitar down. He stands and crosses the room. His hands fall to her hips easy and he admires her with pure love in his gaze.

"Oh, darling, I assure you. I can handle _it_."

She laughs- she can't help it- and bites down on her lip. "Okay, then, let's get dressed up and ready to face the music."

Killian lays a kiss on her that about sweeps her off her feet. After, his nose presses against hers and Emma licks her lips, wishing he could just keep kissing her.

"Are we going to announce our engagement to the world tonight or are we playing it coy?" he asks.

Emma shrugs. She meets his eyes. "I don't know. What do you think?"

"Let's just be us."

..

"Emma, you look beautiful tonight." Ariel says, admiring the dress she has on.

Emma can't help the blush on her cheeks even though she's been told she looks beautiful dozens of times already.

"Isn't she bloody gorgeous?" Killian says from her side, poking his head into her interview.

Emma laughs, bumping her head against his where it hovers above her shoulder. "Thanks."

Killian steps around her properly so he can engage Ariel. He gives her a quick hug and a kiss to her cheek. "Hi Ariel, how are you, love?"

"I'm good," Ariel laughs. She nods at Emma. "It's good to see you both here tonight. Emma, are you excited to be here? How are you feeling?"

Emma smiles politely at Ariel. "I'm excited, yeah. I haven't seen the movie yet but I've heard it's incredible. I can't wait to see what they did with me."

Ariel chuckles. She gestures to Emma's hands, clasped together in front of her middle. "Now, you don't have to answer this, but the Internet has been abuzz for _months_ about that shiny rock on your finger…"

Killian breaks out in the cheekiest grin she's ever seen in her life and she laughs, holding her hand up so the camera can see it.

"I don't know. Kind of looks like an engagement ring, doesn't it?" She's staring at Killian and Killian's smiling at her, and she swears this has never felt simpler.

"It kind of does," Killian says warmly. He bumps her hip gently and Emma giggles, scrunching up her nose as she rights herself and listens to Ariel's next question.

By the end of the interview, Killian has Ariel laughing and Emma's fairly certain this is going to be the thing that breaks the entire Internet, because he's standing with her and he's being totally charming- and then he decides to take her hand.

Emma smiles at Ariel in thanks and waves to the camera. "It was nice seeing you again, Ariel."

"You too! Enjoy the movie!"

"Thanks," both Emma and Killian say in unison.

Emma grins at her fiancé as they walk away from the interview hand-in-hand.

No, this has never felt simpler.

..

The interview with Ariel opens up doors and windows for Emma, who feels more confident in sharing bits and pieces of her life with her fans, and by extension Killian and his fans.

Many of their fans are the same, it's true, but there are some outsiders who crossover when Emma starts making posts about their trip to Atlanta for a guest spot she's doing on a Netflix show.

Killian decides to post their first video together to Instagram when he's bored sitting at the airport waiting for their plane to be ready for boarding. It's barely six and she's still half-asleep, holding a mug of Starbucks while she stares off into the distance.

She's sitting very close to Killian, craving his warmth and cushion-like shoulder that she rests her head upon.

"We are on our way to Atlanta," Killian says. He points his phone at the window to show the plane. "For Emma's new gig. I think we're supposed to be there a month, right, Swan?"

He lands the camera on her and she buries her face in his shoulder, mumbling, "No, don't film me, I'm cranky."

Emma wraps her free hand around his arm and snuggles close to him.

Killian leaves a kiss to the top of her head. "Oh, poor little cygnet." He leans his head against hers. "It's very early. We're both quite tired. Leave a comment suggesting good spots to eat when we land, mates."

When he shuts his phone off, he kisses the top of her head again. "You look beautiful, Swan."

"Shut up." Emma hides her smile against his shoulder and meets his eyes. "Should we add it to our vows that we won't film each other when it's too early?"

Killian laughs heartily. "Well, I've no promises there, love."

Emma hums. She's overcome with love for him, so she lets it go and says, "Love you."

"I love you more."

..

The Internet all but knows the truth now, but there's some lingering doubt until the selfie Emma takes of them and their puppies laying in bed one beautiful summer morning.

They're damn cute, the four of them all snuggled together under the blankets of their bed. Killian has a tired eye cracked open while his hair is a complete mess, and Emma looks equally as sleepy, but she wants to post this picture because she's _happy_.

Sometimes, Emma likes to check in on ekforever just so she can smile and laugh at the compilations of facts. These days, they've started just posting crying emojis regarding each status update or photograph that comes from their professional accounts.

The first thing they have on their page is a photo taken on the carpet of an independent film Killian got to score. He's holding her tight, his smile huge while she laughs and presses her left hand against his chest, clearly showing off her engagement ring to the world.

 _ekforever: (loudly crying face) THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL LOOK HOW FAR WE'VE COME_

The comments below are all essentially a collection of hearts, heart eyes, and a smattering of words describing their love for the photo and for them as people.

Emma discards her phone, turning to look at Killian in their bed while she snuggles Cocoa close to her chest. Smee has decidedly hopped out of bed in search of a toy since waking up.

"Hey," she whispers, a smile spreading on her face.

Killian hums. "Hey."

"Happy wedding day eve."

He laughs, crinkles finding the edges of his eyes. "Happy wedding day eve to you, Swan."

Emma scoots toward him. Thankfully, Cocoa decides to get up at that instant, leaving the bed to the humans. She wraps her arms around him and presses her knee between his. Her nose brushes against his nose and she admires the blue of his eyes for a few moments in beautiful silence.

"Are you excited?" she whispers.

"I don't think I've ever been more excited in my life, quite honestly."

Emma hums. She brushes her thumb over the scar in his cheek and closes her eyes. "We're going to be married tomorrow."

Killian sighs through his nose. "We're going to be married tomorrow."

For a few long moments, they soak in that fact.

All of the planning has amounted to this: a wedding ceremony, with only their closest friends and family to witness. Liam, Killian's older brother, is officiating, and after the exchange of vows, Emma has planned for them to share a meal and dancing on the roof of the apartment building.

It should be nice and peaceful, assuming nothing derails the affairs.

"As soon as we announce it, we're only going to get questions about when we're having a baby." Emma says, deadpan serious.

Killian bursts out laughing and his hand squeezes her side. "Bloody hell. That's true, isn't it?"

Emma giggles along with him.

Killian kisses her forehead and then the tip of her nose while he admires her. "Well, Emma Swan, I would be honored to have children with you, should the time ever come."

Emma hums. "And I'd be honored to have children with you too."

She rests with her forehead against his for a few moments until she hears Smee's tell-tale barking.

"Maybe we don't need children with Smee and Cocoa," Killian grumbles teasingly.

Emma giggles as she watches him get out of bed.

He grabs a shirt and pulls it on. "Alright! I'm on my way. Just be patient." Killian turns back to Emma and leans over the bed to award her a proper kiss good morning. "I am in over my head for you."

Emma sighs and licks her lips as he walks away just as quickly as he'd kissed her.

..

She has hundreds of photos from the wedding, thanks to Ruby, Mary Margaret's best friend who's a photographer, and she chooses one of she and Killian dancing during the reception as the first post she'll make as Killian Jones' wife.

It's an intimate shot, Emma's cheek resting against Killian's collarbone. She's smiling and everything is beautifully lit. The sun is just setting, so the glow of the light illuminates the joy on she and Killian's faces.

She takes a few minutes to think of a good description to add to it and ends up giggling into her hand while Killian's showering in their hotel room in Maui.

 _emmaswanofficial: #ekforever_


	3. Chapter 3

**an:** **this is for the small group of people that wanted more, so if babies aren't your thing, you should probably avoid this. I don't anticipate writing any more after this, so hopefully this is a satisfying extra!**

* * *

It should be no surprise to her when it happens. She had suspected it, after all, the questions about a little bundle of joy. She hadn't anticipated the speculation on a bi-monthly basis, though.

Mary Margaret is always calling her in a panic because of a magazine with very convincing photographs of Emma's "pregnancy bump" and Emma's always having to talk her down, insisting that the magazines are trash and she needs to stop reading them even if Emma's on the cover.

They've been married for two years and they're living in Los Angeles more permanently due to Emma's role in a highly popular television series. She has a contract for the next few years, providing her stability and a little bit of rest in the middle of the chaos of her life.

Killian's latest album went platinum twice over and he just finished an international tour.

She'd never been more excited to see her husband again in the flesh than she was about a month ago when he came home. It's never been easy- the long distance thing, with Facetime and late night phone calls and obsessively checking his social media to see how he's doing.

He'd left Smee with her, which was a silly choice, because he was always lamenting about the fact that he didn't have his trusty first mate on tour with him, but Emma did like getting two dogs to cuddle with in her husband's absence.

Emma lies on the couch in the living room while she watches the Food Network. She feels like she could probably throw up again, which is why she's anchored herself to this spot, with a glass of water and crackers in arms' reach.

Cocoa and Smee seem to know she's not feeling very well. They approach the couch and hop up, eager to snuggle with her.

Emma groans. "Thanks, you guys."

She leaves a kiss to behind Cocoa's ear and sighs heavily. Watching the Food Network is probably a bad idea in retrospect, but she supposes if she's not dry heaving yet, it must mean she's relatively alright.

During a commercial break, Killian enters through the front door of the apartment. Both of the dogs look up to see him. Smee hops off the couch to go investigate the smell of the chicken noodle soup her husband is holding in a bag.

"Alright," he says, going to her side in an instant. "I've got your special soup."

He removes the soup from the bag and sets down the container on the coffee table before grabbing something else from the bag. He keeps it hidden, his brow knitted almost worriedly as he kneels down so he's at her eye-level.

"How are you feeling, love?"

"I've been better." Emma admits. She's more focused on what he's hiding, only because he is too. She reaches out for his hand, still hiding in the bag. "What are you holding?"

Killian laughs under his breath and pulls his hand away, revealing that he's holding a pregnancy test. He sighs as he examines it. He turns his attention to her, nibbling on his lower lip.

"I thought… maybe it might be that you're…"

"Pregnant." Emma finishes his thought, lifting her eyebrows. "Killian-"

Killian smiles slightly and sets the test down on the coffee table. "Darling, it's not as if we haven't been trying."

She's stuck because she knows he's right. She gapes at him, at the box of tests on the table, and an anxiously excited feeling swells inside of her.

Emma sits up then, her eyes widening at the idea. "I should take a test."

She hasn't ever seen her husband smile so wide.

They go to the bathroom together and Emma takes two tests, just to be sure.

This isn't their first attempt at seeing if she's pregnant, but this time she feels a little more excited about the idea of having a baby. Maybe it's because the pregnancy watch has slowed down and she can actually be excited for herself about the idea now.

As they wait for the tests to come back, Emma scrunches her nose up at Killian and collapses into his arms, desperate to hide from the little white sticks sitting on the counter.

Killian laughs warmly. "What's wrong?"

Her cry is muffled by his chest, "I'm nervous!"

Killian's fingers tickle her side and he lowers a kiss to the top of her head. "Shh. No need be nervous, love."

Emma settles her chin against his chest and tilts her head back to stare at him. She leans away, her fingers gripping his forearms.

"Are you ready to have a baby if I'm pregnant?" she asks.

Her husband awards her his trademark smile and traces a soothing circle into her back. "As long as I'm with you, I'm ready for anything."

It melts her heart.

She sighs, shaking her head at the poetic nature of his words. "How did I get you?"

He laughs, something that comes straight from his belly. He tilts his head after and lifts a shoulder as he squints his eyes just slightly.

"A bit of luck, a shit music video, and plenty of rum."

Emma can't help but laugh with him as she thinks back almost ten years ago about their first meeting. It had been love at first sight, though she'd definitely been one to push back when he flirted with her after the shoot was over.

She rests her ear against his heart and stares from a distance at the tests sitting on the counter.

Distantly, Emma considers a future with their child in it and she can't help but want it _so_ badly. It's actually good timing in her life for this, with time in one place and with their careers at a point where if they slow down, it won't hurt them.

"If I'm pregnant, I don't want to tell the world." Emma murmurs. "I just… I want our kids to have privacy and a normal life."

"Aye. I agree. No use telling anyone other than family and close friends anyway."

They stand there in silence for a little while. Emma feels like time is moving impossibly slowly, but soon enough Killian's alarm goes off and he turns it off.

"Well…" Emma nibbles on her lip, staring at her husband. "The moment of truth."

Killian gives her a nod, as if telling her she can do this. Oddly enough, she feels strengthened by it. She sucks in a breath, bravely approaching the tests waiting for her on the counter.

When she sees the results, she immediately feels tears in her eyes. She can't wipe the smile from her lips and she tilts her head slightly as she turns to her husband.

"We're having a baby."

Killian's eyes widen and he gasps, letting out a happy laugh as soon as he sees the results for himself. "Bloody hell. We're having a baby, Swan."

Emma giggles, eagerly nodding her head. She wraps her arms around his neck and he slips his arms under hers. Emma's eyes fall closed and she sighs before they pull back and kiss sweetly.

"How are we going to tell Liam and Mary Margaret and David?" Killian asks in the moments after. "Bloody hell. How will we tell Smee and Cocoa?"

Emma laughs. "One step at a time."

..

Not telling the fans becomes increasingly difficult, especially with a red carpet she has no choice but to attend directly coinciding with the swell of her baby bump.

She's in the awkward stage of not fitting things, so when she's faced with having to get a dress for the event, she sits on the floor of the closet crying for half an hour until Killian finds her.

She sniffles and wipes her cheeks, though she knows he has already seen her crying over something so stupid.

"Love, what's going on?" he asks, his brow deeply furrowed.

"I can't fit in these dresses without showing," Emma says. And it sounds like the most pathetic thing in the world coming from her mouth, but _hormones_.

Killian hums. He examines the one she has on and shakes his head. "I don't know. It seems like maybe you're suffering a burrito pregnancy."

Emma stares at him blankly for a few seconds before laughter bubbles out of her throat. She sniffles in, her tears sufficiently stopped, and stands up to examine herself in the mirror.

"It kind of does, doesn't it?"

Killian shrugs as he stands to his feet. "Well, I mean, sort of." He smiles at her gently and sets his hand over the swell of her belly. "You and I know what it is and that's what matters, right?"

Emma hums. "Right."

..

The red carpet goes off without a hitch, but as Emma scrolls the comments section of her latest public post regarding the event, she can't help but spot ekforever.

 _ekforever: IS THAT A BABY BUMP OH MY GOD (loudly crying face)_

Always a little too curious, she taps on the username and finds loads of speculation. One post from a week ago has a paparazzi shot of her walking the dogs with a water bottle.

 _ekforever: I know this is going to come off as far fetched, but Emma usually walks the dogs early in the morning and gets Starbucks. I'm not saying there's about to be a Mini Jones, but I'm saying there's about to be a Mini Jones. (party popper) (loudly crying face)_

Emma scoffs even if it's true. She turns to look over her shoulder at Killian, who's in the kitchen while she sits on the couch in the living room. He's filming a Facebook livestream Q and A while he makes her breakfast.

He suddenly laughs. "No, Everett, there aren't any merits to that. It's just a rumor. I can absolutely verify my wife isn't expecting."

"Right, darling?" Killian turns the camera toward her.

Emma smiles and waves. "Nope!"

Blatantly lying to the fans is what they've come to, but Emma doesn't really care. She just turns back to rubbing her small bump as she reads a book on parenting on her iPad.

After Killian's done with the livestream, he delivers her food with a kiss to the top of her head.

"We're awful, aren't we?" he teases, sinking down by her feet on the couch.

Emma shrugs. "You know what would be even more awful?"

Killian's eyebrows dance deviously as a wicked grin spreads across his face. "No. What?"

She bites down on her lip and describes the very next public post Emma makes on her social media.

It's a picture of Emma cradling her belly while she's standing in front of Chipotle.

 _emmaswanofficial: Killian and I have some news for you guys. I'm pregnant… with a burrito baby! (winking face)_

Of course, as per usual, ekforever practically collapses at the update.

 _ekforever: WHY ARE YOU TEASING US?!_

..

They're having a baby girl.

As soon as they find out, Killian immediately starts listing off pop culture references, as if she'll somehow forget where their origins come from and think they're good names to name their daughter.

This is accompanied by visuals of Killian Jones holding his baby daughter, so small and sweet, and Emma finds his silly name ideas more bearable.

Emma decides to have the nursery painted light blue with a wall for a mural that Killian begs her to paint himself. He wants to paint a ship, The Jolly Roger, and she can't deny him that when he shows her a concept piece he paints one afternoon while she's on set.

They get furniture when she's almost nine months pregnant, and it's on that day, when the nursery is complete, that Emma completely drops the ball.

Despite all of her safeguards, Emma never could have guessed she would get pregnancy brain and ruin it all.

She's on the phone with Mary Margaret talking about how excited she is about the nursery being done while Killian takes the dogs for a walk.

"You know, lately, people online have been talking about how you haven't posted anything lately," Mary Margaret says. "I know you're not doing anything movie-wise, but… I think they're suspicious."

Emma scoffs. "People don't care about my private life."

The response from the other end is an unconvinced hum. "Emma, there are fan pages dedicated to your private life."

Emma rolls her eyes. "Fine. I'll… post a picture of Smee and Cocoa." Emma bites on her lip and leans against the doorframe of the baby's room. "Mary Margaret, her nursery is beautiful. I wish you could be here to see it in person."

"I'll be there so soon!" Mary Margaret says excitedly. "I cannot wait."

Emma smiles to herself. "Yeah. Me either. It'll be nice to have you here. Killian says Liam and Elsa should be coming closer to the due date to help too. I can't believe we have so much family interested in being here."

Mary Margaret laughs. "Well, it's exciting! You're having a baby!"

Emma hums. She glances over her shoulder when the door opens.

She hears Cocoa and Smee's excited little yips and Killian says, "-nother month or so. Yeah, it'll be just fine."

"Oh, Killian's back," Emma says to Mary Margaret. "So I should get going. We have an appointment today and Smee and Cocoa are getting a haircut."

"Exciting!" Mary Margaret says. "Well, I'll talk to you later. Love you!"

Emma hums. "Love you too."

Emma hangs up and walks toward her husband, a hand resting on top of her belly as she pulls up Instagram and prepares a picture of the nursery to post to her private account.

"Alright. Bye." Killian finishes the call. He hangs up and sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I've got to shower, but as soon as I'm done, we've got to get going to that appointment."

Killian approaches her and she grins, accepting his kiss that tastes like coffee. She sighs, her eyes closed as he pulls away.

"I miss that."

Killian laughs and winks at her. "I know you do. Just a little while longer."

Emma sighs wistfully as she watches her husband head into their bedroom. He peels off his shirt as he goes, allowing her a tantalizing look at the muscles of his backside.

Emma nibbles on her lip and returns to the Instagram post she was making for Mary Margaret's benefit.

Smee and Cocoa are excited to see her, their tongues hanging out of their mouths while they stand in front of her. She laughs and waves at them.

"Hey, you guys,"

For a second, she's preoccupied thinking about how she'll take a picture of the dogs after their haircuts, and that's when she hits the post button without a single thought otherwise.

Emma goes to the bedroom to find her shoes and a hair tie for her hair. As she's wrapping her hair up above her head, her phone starts to ring.

Emma groans when she sees Regina's name pop up, but she answers it regardless as soon as she can. "Regina-"

"Emma, I honestly think you _like_ wrecking your public image with accidental posts to social media." Regina says.

Emma furrows her brow. "What are you-" Her eyes widen and she gasps. "Crap! No! I didn't-!"

"Yes, you definitely did."

Emma puts her hand over her face and grimaces as she sinks down to sit on the bed. "No, no, no- I was posting it for Mary Margaret! I-"

"There's not much we can do to come back from this," Regina says. "Unless you just delete it and we claim it was an accident. And we remain quiet about the fact that you're pregnant."

Emma's chest heaves and she groans. For a second, she considers her choices.

"Time is ticking, Emma. We need to make a choice. Are we going to go with the flow and field questions as they come? I mean, this is a pretty private picture. It's your nursery-"

"I know!" Emma shouts. "I just… pregnant, frustrated, sorry-" Emma pulls herself up and goes straight into the bathroom because her brain is so muddled she can't think straight. "Killian, I accidentally posted a picture on my account."

"Where are you?" Regina asks into her ear. "Are you- in the _bathroom_?"

Killian, of course, is massively confused. He has shampoo in his hair and he turns to look at her through the glass door, eyes squinted as sudsy water drips down his face. He washes it off and wipes his face.

"What are you-"

Emma makes a fist at her side and groans. "I posted a picture for Mary Margaret on my public account and now it's everywhere and everyone knows-" Emma closes her eyes tight. "Shit. I messed up."

Killian licks his lips and rinses out his hair before turning the water off. He opens the door and grabs the towel from the rack.

"You didn't mess it up," he argues gently. "Hold on, are you talking with Regina?"

Emma nods. She holds out the phone for him when he gestures for it.

He ties off his towel around his hips and says, "Okay Regina, we're not going public with it. I'll delete it myself and we'll figure out what to do from there."

He's quiet while Regina probably berates him for something she did.

Emma's heart is racing. This is the last thing she thought she'd have to deal with today.

"Regina, she's got pregnancy brain," Killian sighs. "Just this morning she put the cereal box in the fridge and the milk in the pantry. I don't think she meant to- okay, yes. Taking it down now. Call later tonight."

He hangs up the call and then goes into her page to delete the picture. He smiles slightly at the picture.

"It is a very nice room," he says. "But I don't think the world should find out about Princess Leia like this."

Emma nods. She fights the deep desire she has to roll her eyes. "No Star Wars names."

"Hm, that's what you say now," Killian teases. He hands her phone back to her and lifts his eyebrows. "Alright. How's about no more posts for a while and we just take a deep breath-" He pauses, showing her what he means. She does as he prescribes and manages to smile. "That's right, love. Just breathe."

Emma tilts her head from side to side even as she takes a deep breath. "Killian, I wrecked it. We were trying so hard."

Her husband doesn't seem angry or upset. No, he seems amused. "Darling, I think we were kidding ourselves thinking we'd be able to keep it a secret."

Emma throws her head back. She runs her fingers through her hair and settles her hands on her hips. Her back hurts and she just wants to lie down, really, but this is causing her more anxiety than anything has in a long while.

Killian settles a hand on her arm and rubs it. "Hey. Let's just be us."

It takes her breath away- the reminder of what happened the last time she messed up like this. How she handled it, how they've always handled things by being themselves and not worrying about what anyone thought.

Emma is actually able to breathe. She nods. "Let's just be us."

..

One of Emma's tricks to life as an A-list celebrity is this: don't encourage drama by stirring the pot.

Obviously, once a picture goes online, it's there for good. At least with it deleted, less people have access to it unless they go digging, and with Regina's help they shut down articles that come out about the nursery.

Killian is the one to suggest a solution. It means exposing the truth to the public, but at least it's controlled and it's straight from them.

He has an awards show he's performing at and Emma's _massively_ pregnant, so she accompanies him to the event and they walk the carpet together.

Killian makes a show of it, gesturing out to her with a happy smile on his face, and Emma feels perfectly adored with his arm around her back and hand on her hip.

ekforever has a lot to say about this image, mostly expressed in crying emojis and all-caps: _"I KNEW IT I TOLD YOU SHE WAS PREGNANT!"_

They don't take any questions at the press line, and the next day, they invite Ariel over to the apartment with her photographer Eric to take pictures of them and of the nursery- proper ones, with only the details they approve highlighted.

It's nice, because Eric gets a few photos of she and Killian in the pleasant early morning glow coming through their windows that they'll be able to frame and hang around the house.

"So, how long have you guys been together, if you don't mind my asking?" Ariel wonders as they sit around the kitchen table.

Killian glances over at Emma, who laughs at him.

"Why are you looking at me?" she asks.

"I don't want to get it wrong is all," Killian shrugs. He playfully bites on his lip and then turns back to Ariel. "We started dating a little after we worked on the music video together… nine years ago now?"

He looks at Emma and she smiles sweetly, nodding in agreement. She holds his hand under the table and caresses his knuckles.

Ariel beams at the news. "That's sweet!" She considers another question. "So who made the first move?"

Emma stares at Killian. "He did, but I turned him down at first. So I guess… did I?"

Killian shrugs. "We… both did."

Ariel's satisfied with the answer. She nods her head and glances down at her notes for reference. "So, you guys are sort of a success story for celebrity couples. How do you think you manage that?"

This time, Killian answers without any hesitation. He shakes his head, smiling as he stares at Emma. "She's my best friend. What more do I need?"

Emma's cheeks feel warm at his admission, so blunt and sweet.

Almost as quickly as he'd answered, Emma adds, "He's my best friend, too. He's the only person who I want to spend time with after I'm on set all day and just want to sleep. And he's cute, so… I guess that's why I'm still here."

Killian scoffs. "Please, Swan. I'm devilishly handsome. Ariel, for the record, she said I was devilishly handsome, not _cute_."

Ariel and Eric both laugh with Emma, whose attention rests on her husband while he winks at her.

"I love you guys," Ariel says offhandedly. She turns her attention to Emma's middle. "So tell me about your exciting addition! When are you due?"

Emma grins, looking down at her belly. "So soon. In less than a month." She looks up at Killian and he sets his hand on her middle. "She's kicking. Do you feel?"

Killian hums. "Always aflutter, she is."

Ariel chuckles. "So it's a girl! Do you have a name picked out?"

Emma rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Killian wants to name her Leia or something-"

"To be fair, you've offered me no alternatives."

Emma shoots him a playful look and laughs at the movement inside of her. She turns to Ariel. "We're talking about it."

..

When Ariel posts the article, Emma's phone blows up, but it's alright, because she's sitting on the beach with Killian, watching as the soothing waves roll inward.

She's uncomfortably pregnant, but still manages to be at ease watching people enjoy the beach from the safety of their cabana. She smiles at her husband when he props her feet up on his knees, already kneading her arches.

Emma sneaks a picture from above her belly of him gazing out at the water while he tends to her. She bites on her lip as she makes a post, this time completely intentional.

 _emmaswanofficial: Turns out, the burrito was a baby after all. Hey, killianjones, you're cute. I'll keep you._

..

She comes into the world one bright and beautiful Wednesday morning, screaming her lungs out but as gentle and sweet as can be.

They count all of her fingers and toes a hundred times and when they hold her, they both claim they never want to let go.

They're both _so_ in love with their little girl.

While Killian's grabbing her something good to eat that isn't hospital food, Emma takes a picture of her tiny fingers and makes the decision to share it with the world as a bit of closure for all.

 _emmaswanofficial: Hey, little one, you're cute. Is it okay if killianjones and I keep you?_


End file.
